Connector clamp



W. C. MORROW CONNECTOR CLAMP Feb. 16, 1954 Filed March '7, 1949 INVENTOR.

WALKER C.MORROW BY W ATTOR Patented Feb. 16, 1954 l le iset -Mesee 2%.???1? s :Qlgiggg. (01. 24-81) The present invention relates to a connector I p and 'mer parficmariw 'to aelamp designed w mtereenneet' structural members such i io'r efil ampleas a tubular structural member angle nail- JVAF .hl 1,, V I i viii? is an object of the present invention taprovid dem ectoi cl'a-inp.ohafadterized hyits simplicity, the eeefiomy withj'whili it may be proiiu'ed; 'i-tsas''ofopration and-the feifi'ciency with which it functions to rtam nailing stri in assembled relatiofiwith a' structural element such ref e ka""" asa tubular str-uctural'eleinent or an np or h' lik.

fotrier ehjed'ts ah'd features of the invention will become apparent" *as'" the description proceeds, espeiauy when "taken conjunction with the accompanying"drawings," wherein: Figure 1 is'a; 's'ide'-elevati' on" partly in section showing a connector clamp used to assemble a nailingstrip to a tubular structural member.

rit'gu'r z'is asectionbfi the-line 25-2, Figure 1. Figure :3 is va transverse section through a connetof'eiamp r scmewhat dir'rerent desih; Figure 4 is a transverse section thrdhgiialsomewhat 'di fierent type of connector clamp employed totsupport'a hailing strip to an-I-beam. lF iEiJre-S is perspective view "of a plurality ofi:6f1nector' olamp's supporting a plurality" of nailing strips to'fa tubular structural member, the

nailing 'st'rips being angularly disposed with re- .1

to circular "ecsh fitfirmon to trip a tubular str'ue t Zil'i-n ifiber' H". mhe'opposite end dfllsheelalinp 2;

to interfitinthe manner best illustrate in- Fi ure 1. lame, and with tliekey i5 'remoyedL-the -end :01 the jaws .12 and 1 3 may be spread, thus simultaneously increasing the cross sectional area of the-circular end -porticn i 0. and reducin theerea .ofi'the keyway 116 .formed between the loops L4 t5; Atlthe same time :the clamp may he slipped over the end of the tubular structural member. "line nailing .strip :22 may then be inserted between thejaws 1:2 and 13.. Thereafter the key l8 which preferably is provided with .a tapered lendflportionimay hedrivenainto the keyway :thus' simultaneously enlarging vthe .ke way and causing the circular .endportion l0 and the jaws i2 and I-3'toelampdown upon the tubular structural member H and the nailing strip .22 simultaneously. If desired vmaul holes may be provided for nailing the strip 2-72 in place, land these 'may be-in the bottom aorside walls of the jaws, or both, in which-case inturned flanges 26 may if desired "be omitted.

Alternatively and as illustratedin Figure 3, the connector cclampiniay be formed of two similar portions adapteditobeseparated and-to be assembled together --by interfitting hook portions ihdicatdat =30; Similarniem'bers 3i and 32 are provided, each hf .which has a generally semicircular end portion 33, iaecl'ampingjaw :portion 34 and intermediate looped portion 35. Again the loop's 35 are'staggered similar to'ithe portions fl an'd lfizintheifihddimrit:illustraltediniFigures 1 sandand'togetlier define a keyway 36 for the reception'bf a -key'38. Theadvantage of this ons'tructionis that the clamp thei befassembled r around -an" intermedi'ate "portion of a tubular structural member. Qthe'rwise, it operates in identical manneriwith the embodiment illustrated iiii F'igur es I an'd 2.

" Rierrin nowtoFigure Athere is illustrated a third embodiment of the-present invention. .-In

:this oasetheiconnector clamp comprises two like pelementspeaehsof which has a first clamping jaw All at Lorie end thereof vwhieh may be shaped to interfit withlthe nailing. strip 4l., a.se,cond clamp- ;-ing;jawil2;atfthe bpposite endthereorwhichmay a ewe i i r 'm. w h t e Pari w th wh i i ie's e iet d w re? the eircular end portion "llof the m h iiieiihi-Titydfthe npe her, to periiqit gffi my. F intrrnediate"porti6n or the tube (an Th l qiieil' itli ri 5 y" *sletsindicated"fat' "210 to" jet are to be shaped to interfit with la structural member exeinple Zas Ethe iflange' 43 of the I-beam illustrated; ZIlhe intermediate portions of the clamp :elez'nentsiare shaped to provide interfitting 'loopsfl, these loops being staggered in the same manner as in the previously described embodimerits and {arranged to together define a vkeyway neceptihn oflaiikesi this .case as humus 'rpdiil an' mspeetionier ithe nsure,

ates raters-e reagents-11bit oi the clamping elements so as to provide the keyway 45 and thereafter to drive the key 46 home, thus effecting a Simultaneous clamping of the connector to the flange 43 of the structural mem her and the nailing strip 4!.

In practice it is found satisfactory to provide a keyway and cooperating key which are of substantial uniform cross section from end to end, although it is preferable to taper the end of the key to facilitate entrance into the keyway. However, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to so shape the looped intermediate portions of the clamps so as to provide keyways which are gradually tapered from end to end, and to provide a corresponding taper to the keys. This permits somewhat greater tolerance in the and the building completed by nailing the ham-- design of the parts since the clamping ends of the clamp are continuously closed. as the tapered key is driven further into the keyway.

One of the of the invention is'that a nailing strip may be supported from vertical tubular structural. element is ilius d at 51' and it may be assumed that this a corner post of a building. A plurality of connector clamps indicated generally at El are provided in suitable pairs or larger groups, each group being arranged to support a nailing strip It will be observed that th nailing strips 52 are disposed at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to each other about the axis of the tubular structural member 56. Accordingly, walls may be nailed to the connector strip 52 and the edges of the walls may be brought into juxtaposition so as to provide a complete enclosure.

It will be observed that the key it shown in Figure 4 is illustrated as of a substantial greater width than the key l8 and 33 illustrated in the first two embodiments described. In some cases it may be desirable to employ a relatively wide key so as to afford substantial support to the nailing strip against rocking movement, and it is within the scope of the present invention to extend the width of the keys in all cases to any desired amount. Thus for example, if desired the key 48 could be of any width up to the width of the jaws 45 and 42 although such extreme width would not as a practical matter benecessary. As a matter of fact, the width of the key may be rather small in most cases since the nailing strips are supported against torque relative. to their structural supporting member by the frame work which is nailed thereto.

In Figure 6 there is illustrated a modified clamp in which th jaws engaging the nailing strip are disposed to support the strip at right angles to the tubular or other support. The portion 6i! may be of circular cross-section to embrace a tubular member or of other cross-section as desired. Looped portions 6! and 52 operate as in the modification described above and define a keyway which receives a locking key 63. Jaws ing thereto in the usual manner.

Inasmuch as the jaws which grip the nailing strips have inturned lips for retaining the nailing stripssecurely thereto, and since the nailing stripsare supported against a metallic surface constituted by the bottoms of the laws, the framing'may be nailed to the nailing strips and interlocked, therewith employing nails. of sufficient length to penetrate through the nailing strip and to be bent over or clenched at the under side thereof as they contact the metal surface of the connector clamp. I

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved connector clamp in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scop of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A. unitary clamp having a doubled end shaped to embrace an elongated structural meman interlooped intermediate portion defining a keyway eniargeab-le to effect reduction of size of the doubled end to grip a structural member, the other end of said clamp shaped to define a channel for receiving anailing strip, and a key insertable in said keyway, said channel being formed by a pair of jaw members movable toward each other to grip a nailing strip-as the key is inserted to enlarge the keyway, the channel being generally parallel to the structural member gripped by the doubled end.

2. A connector clamp having a first clamping end shaped to. iit a structural member, an opposite endshaped to a second struct element, the intermediate portion of said clamp shaped to provide interiitting looped parts defining a keyway enlargeable to effect clamping of said ends, and a key insertable in said keyway to clamp said ends, the portions of the looped'parts intermediate the keyway and shaped ends being disposed to abut directly the key and the adjacent structural member at one end and the key and the adjacent structural element at the other end whereby the key constitutes a rigid mechanical abutment in the assembly between the structural member and the structural element.

3. A connector clamp formed of relatively wide metal strip having a first clamping end shaped to fit closely around a major portion of an elongated structural element of uniform cross-secion for a substantial distance therealong equal to the width of said strip, the opposite end of said clamp being shaped to fit closely around a major portion of a second elongated structural element of uniform cross-section for a substanal distance therealong equal to th width of said strip, the portion of said clamp intermediate said clamping ends being formed of two plies of metal strip slotted to form traps, the straps of each ply being shaped to extend through the slots of the other ply. to define a restricted keyway exsertable endwise into said keyway to enlarge said keyway and to efiect clamping of both 01' said ends.

4. A clamp as defined in claim 3 in which one of said clamping ends is shaped completely to surround the structural element engaged thereby.

5. A clamp as defined in claim 4 in which said clamp is formed of a single piece of metal strip.

6. A clamp as defined in claim 4 in which said clamp is formed of two pieces of metal strip having releasable hooks located at the clamping end thereof which is shaped completely to surround the structural element engaged thereby.

WALKER C. MORROW.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Number 15 529,514 352,820 48,527

Name Date Rischard Dec. 13, 1910 Grifiiths Feb. 22, 1927 Lehr Sept. 20, 1932 Markart Dec. 20, 1932 Beauchamp Oct. 16, 1934 Mills June 6, 939* Weaver Mar. 19, 1940 Venzie Feb. 18, 1941 Granger Apr. 28, 1942 Blackburn Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany July 14, 1931 Great Britain July 16, 1931 France Dec. 9, 1937 

